1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a streamlined cauterizing instrument having optical viewing and illuminating means, gas and fume exhaust means, and a plurality of cauterizing tips to be selectively positioned and energized, all of which being efficiently carried within a common housing for use during a cauterizing procedure while producing minimum tissue trauma to the patient.
2. Background Art
Cauterizing tissue is a well known procedure that is often used during surgery. There are several reasons why a surgeon might wish to cauterize a patient's tissue. Typically, cauterizing is employed to close off bleeding as a consequence of surgery. Cauterizing has also been used to sterilize and cut tissue as well as to kill certain tissue that has been infected with disease such as cancer and the like.
Present cauterizing procedures are typically performed with a wand having a single cauterizing tip or heating element at one end. To accurately perform the procedure, the surgeon needs to be able to illuminate and view the local tissue area to be cauterized. If a different cauterizing tip is required, a separate wand must be used to accomplish the desired function. As a consequence of the foregoing, a plurality of viewing, illuminating and cauterizing tools are usually required to complete the cauterizing procedure. Moreover, the smoke and gas generated by burning tissue will sometimes obscure the surgeon's view. In this case, a separate venting tool is needed to suction the obstructions, whereby to permit the surgeon to have clear visual access to the targeted tissue area. What is more, an assistant is frequently needed in the operating room during the cauterizing procedure to manipulate the viewing means and coordinate the location of the cauterizing tip operated by the surgeon with the location of said viewing means.
The foregoing multiple operations to be performed with multiple tools during cauterizing a patient's tissue according to conventional techniques may be clumsy and require both visual and verbal communication between the surgeon and his assistant. In addition, the cauterizing operation may become inefficient and require the likelihood of several incisions and corresponding invasions into the patient's body cavity. This may cause excessive trauma to the patient's tissue while increasing the period necessary for recovery.